Partners and Corporate Sponsors
Overview The NORAD Tracks Santa (NTS) program has been around for a long time…since 1955 to be exact! And while NORAD has the history and the necessary technology to track Santa, the NTS program spends only minimal government funds. So, how do we do it? The NTS program is funded through generous contributions from our partners. Everything from computer servers, web site design, video imaging, Santa’s tracking map, and telecom services are donated by partner companies and individual sponsors. Without our sponsors generosity, the NTS program would not be possible. NORAD would like to thank each and every one of our partners for their terrific support. The NTS program is managed by the NORAD and the United States Northern Command Public Affairs Office at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. The roster of partners for the NORAD Tracks Santa program has changed over the years with changes in technologies and their associated marketplaces, along with changes in organizations as to their being able and willing to commit to a successful sponsorship and partnership with the NORAD Tracks Santa program for a particular year. NORAD Tracks Santa partners include a variety of large (including international) organizations and local to Colorado based organizations. Typically work on the part of NORAD and their partners starts before the summer in order to be ready by December. All the organizations and volunteers who help make this global NORAD Tracks Santa program possible do so at no cost to the American and Canadian taxpayers. History In 2010, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, Globelink - Foreign Language Center http://www.globelinkservices.com/, Air Canada, Verizon, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Colorado Springs School District 11, PCI Broadband http://www.pcibroadband.net/, Naturally Santa Inc. http://www.naturallysantainc.com/, First Choice Awards and Gifts http://www.firstchoiceawards.com/, UTDi (Unified TelData, Inc.) http://www.utdi.com/, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Avaya, Toys for Tots, Meshbox http://www.meshbox.com/, Santa's Traveling Workshop http://www.santastravelingworkshop.com/, OnStar by GM, AFBA's (Armed Forces Benefit Association) 5Star Bank http://www.afba.com/5star/, tw telecom, and the Newseum. Booz Allen Hamilton (a major supporter of both the NORAD Tracks Santa Program and the Toys for Tots campaigns), help facilitate Toys for Tots becoming a corporate sponsor of the NORAD Tracks Santa Program. of the NORAD Tracks Santa Partners and Corporate Sponsors on Christmas Eve of 2009 at the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center.]] In 2009, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, Globelink - Foreign Language Center, Meshbox, Verizon, GE, tw telecom, PCI Broadband, Naturally Santa Inc., First Choice Awards and Gifts, Concept3D http://www.concept3d.com/, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Avaya, OnStar by GM, Santa's Traveling Workshop, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, KRDO-TV's News Channel 13, and AFBA's (Armed Forces Benefit Association) 5Star Bank. http://www.flickr.com/photos/noradtrackssanta/4211190655/ In 2008, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, Meshbox, Verizon, Globelink - Foreign Language Center, Canada Post (Canada's Post Office), Qwest, PCI Broadband, Naturally Santa Inc., First Choice Awards and Gifts, Concept3D, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Avaya, and AFBA's (Armed Forces Benefit Association) 5Star Bank. In 2007, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Verizon, Official Santa Mail http://www.officialsantamail.com/, Globelink - Foreign Language Center, Qwest, Avaya, Plantronics http://www.plantronics.com/north_america/en_US/, First Choice Awards and Gifts, Meshbox, Northpole Santa's Workshop http://www.santas-colo.com/, and e Frontier (now part of Smith Micro). On June 19, 2007, the Partners in the NORAD Tracks Santa program came to NORAD headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, to begin preparing for the 2007 NORAD Tracks Santa (NTS) holiday season. NTS corporate sponsors donate services ranging from web design and internet servers to animation artwork, language interpretation and Santa's mail service. Attending were, left to right, Tech. Sgt. John Lobato of NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs; Peter Hope and Sherilyn Whiting of Booze Allen Hamilton; Fadia Gnoske of Globelink Culture Center; Kim Gerber of Booz Allen Hamilton; Cindy Kersey of Official Santa Mail; Melissa Crounse of Google; Air Force Maj. Stacia Reddish, NTS project officer; Joanne Welsh of Analytical Graphics Inc.; and Diana Kersey of Official Santa Mail. In 2006, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Island Web Studios http://www.islandwebstudios.com/hosting.asp, AOL (America Online), Globelink - Foreign Language Center, AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Microsoft's Windows Live Local with Virtual Earth, Akamai, Verizon, Meshbox, Official Santa Mail, the Macerich Company, and the Mike Herman Family. In 2005, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Island Web Studios, Wikipedia:AOL (America Online), AGI (Analytical Graphics, Inc.), Microsoft's Windows Live Local with Virtual Earth, ICG Communications (now part of Level 3 Communications), Globelink - Foreign Language Center, ClearCube http://www.clearcube.com/, MCI, Meshbox, Official Santa Mail, and the Macerich Company. In 2004, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Analytical Graphics, Inc., America Online, Inc., 24-7 Web Studio (renamed from Etheriel Web Publications) http://profiles.portfolio.com/company/us/co/colorado_springs/24-7_web_studio/2472038/ http://web.archive.org/web/20041230165944/www.noradsanta.org/english/aboutus/about24-7.html, Globelink International Services, MCI, Akamai, ClearCube, and ICG Communications (now part of Level 3 Communications). In 2003, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Analytical Graphics, Inc., America Online, Inc., Etheriel Web Publications http://web.archive.org/web/20030205033120/http://www.etheriel.com/, Globelink International Services, Ampersand Creative http://www.ampersand-creative.com/, and MCI. In 2002, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included America Online, Inc., Analytical Graphics, Inc., Globelink International Services, Etheriel Web Publications, Ampersand Creative, and WorldCom (then became MCI again until Verizon purchased in 2005). In 2001, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included America Online, Inc., Analytical Graphics, Inc., Globelink International Services, and Etheriel Web Publications. In 2000, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included America Online, Inc., Analytical Graphics, Inc., Globelink International Services, and Tobey & Company http://tobey.com/. In 1999, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included IBM, Analytical Graphics, Inc., and Globelink International Services. In 1998, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included IBM, Analytical Graphics, Inc., and Globelink International Services. In 1997, partners for NORAD Tracks Santa included Analytical Graphics, Inc. From 1998 to the present, the NORAD Tracks Santa Website of www.noradsanta.org and the domain name of noradsanta.org have been registered to Analytical Graphics, Inc., with website hosting since 2007 performed by Google. Other Partners In addition to the NORAD Tracks Santa partners listed at the NORAD Tracks Santa website and mentioned in NORAD Public Affairs press releases, numerous other organizations and corporations assisted in mounting the NORAD Santa Tracking program over the years, among them Rocky Mountain PBS, Citadel Mall, the 721st Security Forces Squadron http://www.peterson.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4738, the 721st Communications Squadron http://www.peterson.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4737 and several hotels, including the Sheraton, Embassy Suites, Radisson, and The Broadmoor. For example, from November 18 thru December 25, 2005, for the 50th anniversary of the NORAD Tracks Santa program, the Citadel Mall (owned by The Macerich Company from 1997 thru 2006) had a massive Santa Tracking Village that included a 25-foot tree, a tracking map and viewfinder where children and the young at heart could watch a NORAD Tracks Santa video, hear audio messages of peace from children around the world, and receive a 24-page coloring book with Santa's assistants wearing NORAD patches. All the U.S. military services and components (Active, National Guard, and Reserve) have supported the NORAD Tracks Santa program over the years, either in terms of publicity, or in the case of the Northeast Air Defense Sector of the New York Air National Guard or the U.S. Naval Reserve Navy Information Bureau (NIB) 1118 at Fort Carson, Colorado, direct support of the NORAD Tracks Santa program. Other U.S. federal agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), have supported the NORAD Tracks Santa program over the years with publicity and satellite tracking support. The Canadian Forces have been equally supportive of the NORAD Tracks Santa program. During December from 1999 thru 2008, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center hosted a competing a Santa tracker on one its webpages. See article NASA Tracks Santa for more information. Starting with the 2007 NORAD Tracking Santa season, the NORAD Tracks Santa program received recognition from the Space Foundation with their "seal of approval" under their Space Certification Program as a Corporate Patron Level Partner in the Certified Imagination Product Category http://www.spaceconnection.org/partners/corporate-patron-partners http://www.spaceconnection.org/partners/north-american-air-defense-command-norad, for having increased interest in and excitement for space by children and the young at heart world-wide. NORAD and the NORAD Tracks Santa Program were cited specifically by the Space Foundation as follows, "NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa - radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft. Not only do these systems utilize a variety of technologies developed for the space program, but the tradition of tracking Santa's progress itself inspires children around the world to think about how space technology and exploration play an increasingly important role in our daily lives." 2007 to Present 2000 to 2006 1998 to 1999 References External links * Official NORAD Tracks Santa Website - Contact Us - Our Team Page(English) Category:NORAD Tracks Santa Wiki